Spindle adaptor



De'c- 1969 A. L. BEARDSLEY 3, 8

SPINDLE ADAPTOR Filed March 14, 1968 INVENTOR ALBERT L. BEARDSLEY United States Patent US. Cl. 242-683 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The adaptor is slideable onto a spindle, and has an outside diameter corresponding to the inside core diameter of a film reel. The adaptor has an axially extending recess adapted to receive a portion of a spring latch strip one end of which is secured to the adaptor. The other end of the strip is formed to define a catch engageable with a shoulder on the spindle for retaining the adaptor thereon. When a reel is slid onto the adaptor, the strip is engaged by the reel core thereby bringing the catch into latching engagement with the spindle shoulder. The strip also releasably retains the reel on the adaptor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In certain apparatus of the type having spindles adapted to support reels of web material, such as film or tape, it is desirable to adapt the spindles to accommodate reels having different inside core diameters. One such apparatus wherein this is desirable is a moving pictureprojector adapted selectably to project both standard 8 mm. film as well as Super 8 film.

As is known to those skilled in the art, a Super 8 reel has the inside core diameter thereof greater than the inside core diameter of a standard 8 mm. reel. The purpose of this difference in core diameter is to prevent a standard reel from being inadvertently placed on a projector adapted to accommodate only Super 8 film and likewise to prevent a Super 8 reel from being inadvertently placed on a projector adapted to project standard film only.

Certain projectors are designed to project both standard 8 mm. and Super 8 film. These projectors require some form of adaptors to allow the spindles thereof alternately to support standard reels and Super 8 reels. The present invention provides such an adaptor in a quite simple form, such adaptor having an automatic or selflatching feature whereby the adaptor is latched to the spindle in response to positioning of a reel on the adaptor.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved spindle adaptor.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved spindle adaptor having a latch which engages the spindle to retain the adaptor thereon, such latch being brought into operation in response to sliding a reel onto the adaptor.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an adaptor according to the foregoing object, wherein such latch also serves for releasably retaining the reel on the adaptor.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification disclosing a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adaptor made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the adaptor;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the adaptor; and

Patented Dec. 9, 1969 FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken through the adap tor and showing the same latched to the spindle of a moving picture projector.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURE 4, the spindle 10 of a web feeding apparatus, such as a moving picture projector, is of the usual cylindrical form including a blind bore 11 adapted to receive a shaft (not shown) of the projector, which shaft is provided to rotate the spindle. An annular flange 12 is integral with the spindle 10, such flange having a notch formation defining an annular shoulder 14. The spindle 10 includes the usual key 15 adapted to be received in the radially extending keyway of a reel (not shown) for driving engagement therewith. The spindle 10 has a diametrically extending bore 16 opening at one surface of the spindle at a reduced-in-diameter aperture 16a. A retaining ball 18 is disposed in the bore- 16 and urged toward the aperture 16a by a coil spring 20, the latter being retained in the bore 16 by a suitable plug 22. It will be understood that a portion of the ball 18 extends outwardly through the aperture 16a for releasably retaining a reel on the spindle.

The spindle 10 is adapted to support'a standard 8 mm. reel. The present invention has to do with a device adapting the spindle 10 to accommodate a reel, such as a Super 8 reel, having an inside core diameter greater than the diameter of the spindle 10.

The adaptor, generally designated 24, includes a tubular body member 25 provided with a blind bore 26 having a diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the spindle 10 thereby permitting the adaptor to be slid onto the spindle 10. The body 25 joins with an integral annular flange 28, such flange being provided with an annular recess 29 on the rear side thereof for receiving the spindle annular flange 12. The adaptor has a radially extending key 30 adapted to be received in the keyway of a reel, such as a Super 8 film reel the outline of which is shown in broken lines in FIGURE 4 and designated 32. The adaptor body 25 is provided with an axially extending, internal recess 34 for receiving the spindle key 15, thereby to key the adaptor to the spindle for being driven by the latter.

The adaptor body 25 contains an external, axially extending recess 36 which joins with a generally radially extending, rectangular opening 38 formed in the adaptor flange 28.

A latch in the form of a bent spring strip, generally designated 40, has one end 41 thereof received in a slot 42 formed in the body 25. The end 41 preferably has a struck out portion 41a thereby insuring a snug engagement of the end 41 in the slot 42. The latch strip 40 includes a first intermediate portion 44 joined to a second intermediate portion 45 by an inclined portion 46. The latch strip portion 45 joins with a generally radially extending portion 48, the latter having the free end thereof bent to form a catch 50. The latch portions 48 and 50 are received in the opening 38 in the adaptor flange 28. The latch or spring strip 40 is bent such that the catch end 50 thereof is normally biased against a surface 29a which is formed by the opening 38.

When the reel 32 is slid onto the adaptor 24, the core of the former engages the intermediate portion 44 and deflects the latch 40 into the position shown in FIGURE 4 thereby deflecting the strip portion 45 into the recess 36 and bringing the catch 50 into latching engagement with the spindle annular shoulder 14 for retaining the adaptor to the spindle. The portion 46 of the latch or spring strip 40 engages the outside face of the reel 32 adjacent the core thereof for releasably retaining the reel on the adaptor.

It will be apparent that the adaptor automatically latches itself to the spindle upon sliding of a reel onto the adaptor. The adaptor is automatically released for removal from the spindle as soon as the reel is removed from the adaptor.

I claim:

1. A device adapting a spindle to accommodate a reel with an inside core diameter greater than the diameter of the spindle, which spindle is of the type including a shoulder at one end thereof, said device comprising, a tubular member slideable onto said spindle from the other end thereof and having an outside diameter corresponding to the inside core diameter of said reel thereby permitting the latter to be slid onto said member, a latch carried by said member for movement between first and second positions and biased to said first position, said latch in the second position thereof being adapted for latching engagement with said shoulder thereby to retain said tubular member on the spindle, said latch being moved to its second position by engagement with said reel upon sliding the latter onto the tubular memher, said tubular member including an element relcasably retaining said reel thereon, said tubular member including means for keying engagement with the spindle and other means for keying engagement with said reel 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said latch comprises a spring strip.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said element is defined by a formation on said latch.

4. A device adapting a spindle to accommodate a. reel with an inside core diameter greater than the diameter of the spindle, which spindle is of the type including an annular shoulder at one end thereof, said device comprising, a tubular member slideable onto said spindle from the other end thereof and having an outside diameter corresponding to the inside core diameter of said reel thereby permitting the latter to be slid onto said member, said tubular member having an external recess extending axially thereof, a spring latch strip having one end thereof secured to the outer end of said tubular member, which strip has an intermediate portion extending axially of said recess and adapted to be at least partially received therein, the other end of said strip being in the form of a catch movable with said intermediate strip portion generally radially of the spindle between inner and outer positions, said catch in the inner position thereof being adapted for locking engagement with said shoulder thereby to retain the tubular member on the spindle, said intermediate strip portion in the outer position thereof extending at least partially out of said recess, said catch and said intermediate portion being biased to the outer position thereof, said catch and said intermediate strip portion being moved to said inner position by engagement of said reel with the intermediate strip portion upon sliding of the reel onto said tubular member, said strip having a formation adjacent said intermediate portion engageable with said reel for releasably holding the latter on the tubular member, said tubular member including means for keying engagement with the spindle and other means for keying engagement with said reel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,207,454 9/ 1965 Bendar 242-683 3,347,485 10/ 1967 Bundschuh 242 --68 .3 3,375,995 4/1968 Roman 242 683 NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner 

